page 7 - 2015 Exclusive Jaime Subira career Interview

Jaime Subira 1978 Blackwater during the Scottish Six Days Trial

Did you take trials very very seriously at the start? Some riders are very focused and yet other riders you know just do well straight away without much trouble? Yes, I know this. For example when I was riding Manual Soler and Toni Gorgot I think the riding level was very high but I am very constant and I work very hard. The trials where it is very raining and very cold and at these trials I win because I try very hard and I am strong. I was training , a lot at this time. Sometimes for 10 hours in one day without stop and also when I was Fantic this was the same. The people from Marzocchi or Dellorto come to test and they say me “you cannot stop, we cannot understand you”. I can practice all day with one sandwich and test dampers of front works for 12 hours. What was Montesa like to work for?

2015 Exclusive Jaime Subira career Interview www.retrotrials.com

They were very serious people but they no understand about trials ha ha. If we talk about the factory they are very serious and if they say black, it is black and if they say red is red, then it is red. They are very serious people. They are strong people and they are nice to work for in this area. Sometimes they come to me and say “Jaime what happened, why you not doing this?” I say “Because my bike it doesn’t go the way I want”. They say “You know this bike well”. I say”yes you also know this bike”. They are always thinking about the numbers for the money. This is very important but for Montesa races are in the second place. In Bultaco races are in the same place or maybe higher place for races.

I love this photo of Montesa rider and later Mecatecno owner Jordi Rabassa explaining something to Pedro Pi (in the middle) with Jordi Permanyer on the left. This photo was taken at the 3 Days de Cingles.

2015 Exclusive Jaime Subira career Interview www.retrotrials.com

One time I go with Manuel to Germany for a World Championship and the man who organize the World Championship there say next year we want to make a World Championship trial in a natural park and we need special permission to go there. We would like to have your opinion if this is a good place. We go there for some practice with this man and Manuel and me and at this moment we start to play and say I do 1 section and then we say we are going to change the bikes. The man then says “I will never say what I see today”. I then ride Manuel’s Bultaco and the Bultaco was going much better that my Montesa 349 at this time. Manuel uses my bike and I use his bike ha ha ha.

It was his last days in trial. Joan Bordaz, I don’t know if you have heard of him. These men were the first riders with Montesa in Spain. Also Joan Font as well as the son of the Montesa boss, Jordi Permanyer.

Also, Leapol Mila. Mila was one of the associations of Montesa. He was the son of the Montesa designer who rides the bikes. These were the first trial riders with Montesa.

2015 Exclusive Jaime Subira career Interview www.retrotrials.com

Leopoldo Mila

Initially a rider of some success in the European championship, Snr Leopoldo Mila was another influential figure within Montesa being both the Technical Director and designer. He is particularly well know for his design of the Iconic and popular Montesa Impalla. This was designed to be robust, comfortable and economical, an interesting quote from Mila, when referring to the wide and long seat of the Impalla was "Over the years many things have changed, but I know the ass of the people remains the same."Leopoldo also played a part in designing many other Montesa motorcycles including significant involvement in the Cota design with Pere Pi and many other Montesa motorcycles including the Montesa Texas and Ferrett. He was described as being truly brilliant by many in the design field in and out of the motorcycle industry and received a number of notable awards in the field. He sadly died in 2006 after a successful career during the Montesa days and after Montesa in the design of furniture and other household items. Mila is a significant figure in the History of this great motorcycle company.

Did your position change in Montesa? You were there quite a long time?Yes yes, I stayed there for 5 years. I started with Paya and then I go a little bit up from Paya and then in Spain I was the top rider for Montesa. Montesa say to me you have to find someone to help you in practice and then maybe you don’t have to practice so much and then maybe you will get better result, if you don’t have to test so many bikes. I look for Miguel Cierra. Miguel Cierra was my friend and a good boy and I ask him if he wants to come Montesa and work with me.

That job offer to Miquel stood Miquel in very well as he has remained entirely loyal to Montesa ever since and today he is the field manager for the Montesa Trial team.

2015 Exclusive Jaime Subira career Interview www.retrotrials.com

2015 Exclusive Jaime Subira career Interview www.retrotrials.com

2015 Exclusive Jaime Subira career Interview www.retrotrials.com

What did Miguel do for a job at this time?He was 17 or 18 so he was young and so he was at college. He is a very good friend of me. We are still very friendly. Now he goes every day to the Montesa factory which is near here.

What can you remember about Giovanni Priotti ? I hear a lot about this man Ahh Priotti. He is an incredible man. He is a very very kind person. He was a dealer in Pinerolo, Italy which is not far from the French border maybe 60 or 70 kilometers and he was very very kind to us. His wife Renza was the mechanic in his workshop. He was the salesman. His wife was ? Yes ha ha ha

What a lucky lucky man.

When we go in the workshop to repair our bikes he would say “go out from here!” and his wife would help us to repair the bikes ha ha ha ha. Very very very kind person. Sometimes at this time there was a big tax with the customs you know and sometimes we go with many many passport to Priotti you know and we take many parts to Priotti so he no pay the customs you know ha ha ha ha.They are a family. It does not matter which bike you use ...you are always friend with Priotti ha ha ha very very kind.He was a Montesa man mainly?Yes, but Bernie Schreiber was there. Manuel Soler was there so it did not matter. He like everybody. He is a very special person. I saw him maybe 5 or 6 years ago.

Giovanni Priotti on the left standing next to Jaime, with Manuel Soler in the red T shirt and Bernie Schreiber in the white + photo of the Priotti Montesa line up.

The man, Giovanni Priotti, is part of the Trial World culture. Where ever I have been in Europe his name has been mentioned warmly as the great Italian rider turned Trial motorcycle dealer with Montesa running through his blood. He was a point of call, a home and a safe place for all riders visiting the nearby World, European and Italian Trials. Whether you rode for Montesa or not Giovanni and his wife Renza passion for Trials, motorcycles and Montesa shone bright and they'd help you out where ever they could if you called in at this Pinerolo dealership.

Giovanni riding the fore runner to trials Gymkhana in the 1950's and later riding enduro on the MV 4st Bergamo in 1970 at the First Trophy Cassera trial.

So you would go there when you were passing Pinerolo ?Well, in Pinerolo for some years they make the World Championship but every day we go Pinerolo for 2 days. It’s a very nice place, a very nice place. A very nice place. A very nice trial, very nice people, very nice style very nice food. Everything was nice there. Every time we go to Pinerolo we always go to Priotti’s place, even now, even now.